Songs from the Rain

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Songs from the Rain
Studio album by
Released1993
Length51:51
LabelLondon
ProducerStewart Levine
Hothouse Flowers chronology
Just a Note
(1991)
Songs from the Rain
(1993)
Born
(1998)

Songs from the Rain is the third album by the Irish band Hothouse Flowers.[1][2] It was released in 1993.[3]

The album peaked at No. 7 on the UK Albums Chart.[4] The band promoted it by playing the Another Roadside Attraction festival, and then opening for Midnight Oil.[5][6]

Production[edit]

The album was produced by Stewart Levine.[7] Two of its songs were cowritten with Dave Stewart; Will Jennings also contributed to Songs from the Rain.[8][9]

Critical reception[edit]

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[10]
The Encyclopedia of Popular Music[11]
The Indianapolis Star[12]
Los Angeles Times[13]
The Philadelphia Inquirer[14]

Rolling Stone wrote: "Like Simple Minds, another spiritually inspired act that succumbed to bombast, Hothouse Flowers seem unsure how to express their religiosity without alienating a potential new audience."[15] The Edmonton Journal determined that the album "captures the essence of contemporary Irish soul."[16] The Chicago Tribune declared that the Hothouse Flowers prove that they remain "among the most emotional, compelling and imaginative of the new Celtic rock bands."[17]

The Los Angeles Times concluded that "the best moments are disarming expressions of faith that are as mystical and spirit-lifting as the works of Van Morrison and the Waterboys."[13] The Guardian noted that "the Flowers have begun mining a potentially rewarding vein of blues-gospel-folk-funk."[18] The Philadelphia Inquirer lamented that "Celtic soul can be a mighty tepid cup of tea."[14]

AllMusic wrote that "while Songs From the Rain is the band's most musically diverse collection, it is hampered by an inconsistent set of material."[10] Hot Press' Pat Carty described the album as "one of the great Irish records".[19]

Track listing[edit]

All tracks are written by Hothouse Flowers and Stewart Levine

No.TitleLength
1."This Is It (Your Soul)"3:52
2."One Tongue"4:29
3."An Emotional Time"4:28
4."Be Good"3:53
5."Good for You"4:04
6."Isn't It Amazing"5:50
7."Thing of Beauty"5:27
8."Your Nature"5:08
9."Spirit of the Land"4:18
10."Gypsy Fair"3:50
11."Stand Beside Me"6:32
Total length:51:51

Charts[edit]

Chart performance for Songs from the Rain
Chart (1993) Peak
position
Australian Albums (ARIA)[20] 19
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)[21] 64
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[22] 79
New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)[23] 22
Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan)[24] 18
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[25] 32
UK Albums (OCC)[26] 7
US Billboard 200[27] 156

Certifications[edit]

Region Certification Certified units/sales
United Kingdom (BPI)[28] Silver 60,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Hothouse Flowers Biography, Songs, & Albums". AllMusic.
  2. ^ "Picks & pans – Songs from the Rain by Hothouse Flowers". People. 39 (15): 25. April 19, 1993.
  3. ^ Kelly, Christina (March 1993). "Listen up – Songs from the Rain by Hothouse Flowers". Sassy. 6 (1): 42.
  4. ^ "Hothouse Flowers | full Official Chart History". Official Charts Company.
  5. ^ Muretich, James (18 July 1993). "If It's Good For Us It Must Be Good For You: Hothouse Flowers". Calgary Herald. p. B8.
  6. ^ Renzhofer, Martin (17 September 1993). "Midnight Oil Is Promoting Music, Not Messages, On Tour From Down Under". The Salt Lake Tribune. p. C7.
  7. ^ Harrison, Tom (16 July 1993). "A Day of Good Music". The Province. p. B32.
  8. ^ Buckley, Peter (April 9, 2003). The Rough Guide to Rock. Rough Guides. ISBN 9781843531050 – via Google Books.
  9. ^ Jarvey, Paul (12 August 1993). "Flowers' songs rooted in spirituality". Telegram & Gazette. p. C4.
  10. ^ a b "Songs From The Rain - Hothouse Flowers | Songs, Reviews, Credits | AllMusic". AllMusic.
  11. ^ Larkin, Colin (May 27, 2011). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Omnibus Press. ISBN 9780857125958 – via Google Books.
  12. ^ Penner, Diana (12 April 1993). "Hothouse Flowers 'Songs from the Rain'". The Indianapolis Star. p. C3.
  13. ^ a b Hilburn, Robert (11 April 1993). "Hothouse Flowers Bloom Again". Los Angeles Times. Calendar. p. 58.
  14. ^ a b Stark, Karl (13 April 1993). "Hothouse Flowers Songs From the Rain". The Philadelphia Inquirer. p. E1.
  15. ^ Manning, Kara (May 27, 1993). "Recordings — Songs from the Rain by Hothouse Flowers". Rolling Stone. No. 657. p. 52.
  16. ^ Howell, David (30 July 1993). "Soulful sound comes easily to Hothouse Flowers". Edmonton Journal. p. C3.
  17. ^ Heim, Chris (6 August 1993). "And the Hothouse Flowers (back with its first new album in three years, the recently released 'Songs from the Rain')...". Chicago Tribune. Friday. p. R.
  18. ^ Mulholland, John (5 May 1993). "MUSIC: Hothouse Flowers Royal Albert Hall". The Guardian. The Guardian Features Page.
  19. ^ Carty, Pat. "Hothouse Flowers, Let's Do This Thing". Hotpress. Retrieved 20 April 2022.
  20. ^ "Australiancharts.com – Hothouse Flowers – Songs from the Rain". Hung Medien. Retrieved 21 April 2022.
  21. ^ "Dutchcharts.nl – Hothouse Flowers – Songs from the Rain" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 21 April 2022.
  22. ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – Hothouse Flowers – Songs from the Rain" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 21 April 2022.
  23. ^ "Charts.nz – Hothouse Flowers – Songs from the Rain". Hung Medien. Retrieved 21 April 2022.
  24. ^ "Swedishcharts.com – Hothouse Flowers – Songs from the Rain". Hung Medien. Retrieved 21 April 2022.
  25. ^ "Swisscharts.com – Hothouse Flowers – Songs from the Rain". Hung Medien. Retrieved 21 April 2022.
  26. ^ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 21 April 2022.
  27. ^ "Billboard 200: Week of April 10, 1993". Billboard. Retrieved 21 April 2022.
  28. ^ "British album certifications – Hothouse Flowers – Songs from the Rain". British Phonographic Industry.